Run, daddy, run!
by Writing5Ever
Summary: "RUN! DADDY! YOU'RE IN THERE! COME OUT! PLEASE!" I screamed into thin air, the snow almost blanketing the rubble and coal bits on the ground. What happened the day the coal mines blew up, when the Everdeens' lives changed forever. R/R


Bzzt! Bzzt! Bzzt!

The alarm sounded, making everyone in the class look panicked. We knew what this bell was for. We were told that we would never be able to hear this painfully loud buzzing noise, but we are now. This alarm was only supposed to be sounded when the mines blew up. Our school was deathly close to the mines, so we needed to be evacuated immediately. Hastily, all the students looked out the window. It's raining ash and bits or coal, and then everyone in the class is sent into panic mode. Dozens of my classmates ran around the room with tears in their eyes, but the Seam children, like me, froze and looked around in our surroundings. Our fathers were in the mines, working and mining coal for our district. But they blew up. They could be gone by now.

"Alright!" Our teacher bellowed over the sound of the alarm and screeching in the class. The class seemed to wind down to hear the instructions. "Everyone, get out of this classroom immediately. It's not safe anymore. If you have any siblings, get them in their respective classrooms and run for the gates. As fast as you can and your parents are probably out there. GO!" Everyone in the class ran outside, making mad dashes for the first and second grade classrooms, looking and screaming for their little siblings. The hallways were crowded and full; everyone was in full on panic mode. Almost everyone in the school never experienced a mine blow up before. Other schools would probably usher their students out in a cautious and proper manner, but proper and gentle were the last things on our minds. We needed to get to our families, fast.

"PRIM!" I screamed, trying to push myself through the halls. Prim's classroom was in the end of the hall. I think I saw Prim, her tuft of bright blonde hair in a sea of dirty blonde haired children. "PRIM!" I continued to scream, looking for a response. A million different names soared into the air as all the other older siblings looked for their little siblings. "Vick! Rory!" I heard someone say, and I looked to my side, only to find a group of brothers reunited. They hugged each other for a while and they broke up, holding each other's hands, the eldest one, who said their names, being in the front, speedily leading his family through the commotion. I think he was one of the boys from the seventh grade room right across my sixth grade classroom, although I don't know his name. "PRIM!" I said again, hopeful to find a trace of my sister in the crowd.

"KATNISS!" I heard someone say, and I turn my head towards one of the second grade classrooms. Prim was standing there, shaking, tears in her eyes. I ran towards her, pushing myself through the hordes of students lining the halls. Prim reached her hand for me, and our fingers connect, and I pull her towards me. I hugged her tightly and I wiped some tears out of her eyes. "Katniss… What's happening to daddy now?" she asked innocently. "Prim, let's get out of here first before you ask questions." I said briefly, trying not to think of what could have happened to my father. Sweet, kind and melodic father. No, he wouldn't have died. He promised me he'll be with us, forever. He won't leave us now.

"Prim, come here," I said, tugging on her small hand, leading her through the halls, then out through the main doors. "Mother!" I screamed, looking for my mother in the sea of parents waiting for their kids. "MOTHER!" I screeched, grasping Prim's hand tighter as if I'm afraid to lose her. "Katniss! Prim! Over here!" I heard someone beckon, and I look to the fence, to see my mother waving her frail, skinny arms at us, tears staining her face as well. "Mom!" Prim and I rushed to our mother's side, jumping into her embrace. Prim suddenly stops her crying and just nuzzled herself into my mother's skirt, as if it gave her the sensation of home. Even in my mother's arms, I don't feel completely safe.

The mines gave another loud rumble. Sirens flashed. There was no such thing as a hospital in district twelve, so they were all delivered to my mother or to the apothecary uptown. The thought of seeing bruised, burnt, and dying men and women on our kitchen table nearly made me sick. But I get snapped back into reality.

"Daddy!" I screamed in delight as I saw a man, who looked just like my father, approaching us, looking not too hurt. I looked up at my mother and she shook her head, meaning it wasn't my father. No. He couldn't have died. He promised! A pang of fright hit me, giving me the sensation of horror and pain. I've never felt it before. The most pain I've felt is when father taught me how to position my bow and arrow, and unfortunately, the arrow cut my cheek and I cried in the forest, and my father had to carry me home. That was it. But this sensation, it's different. I haven't been scratched or hurt today, not physically. But emotionally, yes.

Many other men stepped out of the coal mines, all of them hurt, bleeding and some even unconscious. The more they came out, the more they start looking like daddy. I've said, "Daddy" to about ten people already, and my luck wasn't sinking in. Not one of them was my father. I looked to the family to my right, and it was the boy who hugged his two little brothers in the hallway. He looked quite determined to see his dad be uncovered from the rubble. His two little brothers were clutching his mother's hand. They were from the Seam, obviously, with their dark hair, olive skin and grey eyes. His mother was also clutching her belly, which was round. She was pregnant. I felt sorry for her, she has to raise three boys, another baby on the way, and her husband could be dead in the mines. The seventh grade boy looked at me for a moment, looked at Prim, then at mother, and back at me. He nodded and I nodded back. We both turned our attention to the mine, which had no more people coming out of it. The gates were shutting, and my fear suddenly turned into a reality.

"RUN, DADDY, RUN!"

I cried out into the air, noticing the gentle snow pouring steadily down from the sky. Everyone around me gave me a sympathetic look, some with tears in their eyes. My eyes pooled with tears. "You promised you wouldn't go, daddy!" I said, tears free falling from my face. Even the seventh grader boy looked at me with sympathy, taking his mother's shaking hand. I looked up to my mother and she was crying too. Prim was standing there, tugging on mom's skirt, trying to ask to be carried. My mom's face blanked out of expression from then on. The gates were fully closed now, no more survivors coming out.

"RUN! DADDY! YOU'RE IN THERE! COME OUT! PLEASE!" I screamed into thin air, the snow almost blanketing the rubble and coal bits on the ground. All the families with their fathers, brothers and sons who were alive were praising the high heavens for another day of safety. They were all rushed to the apothecary uptown. The other families who lost people close to them walked away sadly to their houses, where they could mourn in silence. Those hovercraft things I've seen on the news floated above us, clearly taping the scene for the news. The family to my side, with the brothers and their pregnant mother were still there. Suddenly, mother grabbed the woman's hand.

"If you need anyone, to talk to or if you need medical help," mother said, tears in her blue eyes. The woman looked aghast, but she was clearly listening. "Feel free to come to us. We're at the very end of the Seam, the last house, on the left. My name's Camellia Everdeen." Mother offered her hand and the lady shook it. Her three boys peered over to me and Prim and turned away instantly. "T-thank you, I'm Hazelle Hawthorne." The lady said, and shook my mother's hand. They exchanged small smiles and turned away from each other.

Mother and Prim turned away, but I just sat there. "Run… Daddy… Run!" I whimpered silently, pressing the snow onto my fingers. I closed my eyes. When I opened them, I thought my father was standing in front of me, outstretching his hand, telling me it was okay. But it wasn't daddy. It was the eldest boy from Mrs Hawthorne's family. He looked sad and enraged, but he didn't look like he was in a mess. More likely that he would just mourn for two days and move on from there. Or maybe he was just good at hiding his emotions.

"I can get up by myself…" I muttered, not accepting his outstretched hand. He pushed his hand into his pocket and straightened up. I got up and I followed mother and Prim through the town square. The merchant class kids were staring at us like we were on display. I just looked away and rubbed my eyes. I turned my head and there was the infamous Mellark bakery. A blond boy looked out from the second floor window, looking at me with despair in his face as if he lost his own father. But he didn't. His father was a baker; he would have never been hurt in this incident, even if he tried. I squinted my eyes at him, glaring at him as if the day was his fault. He has no right to look sorrowful. He wasn't related to any Seam people like me, so he wouldn't be affected. The blond boy blinked his eyes and left his perch at the windowsill.

Turning for the dirt road of the Seam, mother and Hazelle shook hands one final time as we departed to our respective houses. As our house was at the end of the Seam, we just slowly trudged through the dirt and said nothing to each other. Even Prim, who was normally talkative, quieted down. I couldn't take it anymore, so I ran for the house. We had no house key, so the door was only shut with a stone and a big piece of wood. Nobody would steal anything from a Seam person, because you would get nothing. I kicked off the rock and lifted the plank of wood, and entered the house. And then it crept on me. Father's hunting jacket was splayed across his dining room chair. He preferred to sit on that seat every day. I picked the jacket up and enveloped myself into it. By the time mother and Prim came in, I nuzzled into the jacket, crying into it. Mother came beside me and lifted Prim onto her lap.

"I love you both so very much, don't ever forget that." She said, hugging me and Prim tightly, like we were the difference between life and death for her. Mother kissed the both of us on the foreheads and brought us to our bedroom, without another word. Prim was sniffling at that time, she was crying into her pillow, and the small ragdoll my father bought her for her sixth birthday from the Hob.

"Sssh…" I cooed, hugging Prim with all my might, quivering and crying too. "Come here, Prim." I gestured for her to my side. She crawled up to me, hugging me tightly. "I want daddy…" she whimpered. "Where's daddy?" she asked, tear tracks evident on her face. I took my father's hunting jacket that I brought from the living room, and wrapped it around us both. "Daddy might not be here, like, as himself, but he's here… somewhere…" I said to Prim, trying my best to get her to sleep. "I bet daddy would appreciate it if you took a nap, Prim… so you should." I said, wrapping my arms around Prim. She fell for it and slept, and I kissed her forehead.

I ran from the bedroom, taking the hunting jacket with me. I went out to the living room to see my mother there, splayed out on the raggedy old couch, clutching what seems to be their wedding photo. One of the photos we could afford. We only could afford four of them; their wedding photo, a family photo of all of us, a picture of me when I was little, and a picture of Prim when she was little. Those were the keepsakes I treasured dearly. A tear forms in the corner of my eye and I wipe it off.

I put on the hunting jacket and looked at my mom and dad's closet. One of daddy's bow and arrow sets were kept in the closet, if in any case a wild animal or something would stray into the house. I take it, unsure why, and I run outside the house, not even caring for the peacekeepers. I could only go into the deeper parts of the meadow by myself, not too close to the electrocuted fence, but not too far from home. A perfect spot. For some reason, I started shooting arrows, which completely missed whatever I tried to shoot. My father would take me to the woods to shoot, to help me cool off. He would teach me how to position the bow and arrow when I got furious. For some reason, it helped. _Keep your eyes open and listen to your surroundings. _He would say. I shot a final one and hastily shoved them all back into the wooden quiver. Just when I was about to go home, I heard a faint sound of footsteps, which could only be peacekeepers. Who else would they be? I hid behind a large tree trunk, slowing down my breathing and stopping my movements. When I thought they had left, I came out from my hiding spot and made a run for my home.

I entered through the door silently, seeing that my mother was still asleep. I took off the hunting jacket, and made a run for their bedroom, putting the bow and arrow set back in its original spot. And then I crept into the bedroom I shared with Prim. I entered, and I saw her crying, and she was sitting upright. "Katniss!" she said, reaching for me. I ran to her, picking her small frame up and putting her onto my lap. She was crying nonstop.

"Where did you go?" she asked me, wiping some of her tears away.

"Outside…" I said, semi-lying to her. Thank goodness she bought it.

"Katniss?"

"Yes?"

"Sing for me?" she said hopefully, a smile slowly forming on her lips. I gulped down air and I looked at her. My father used to sing for the both of us. He would always sing the Mountain Air for the both of us.

"Um, I don't know any songs." I say, lying to her. Prim looks at me sadly. "Daddy taught you songs!" she protested, looking at me sadly. "Mountain air!" she demanded, looking at me with her rounded blue eyes. I sighed, and I tried to remember the lines. I lay Prim down on the bed and brushed the hairs out of her face.

_Deep in the meadow,_

_Under the Willow_

_A Bed of grass_

_A soft green pillow_

_Lay down your head_

_And close your sleepy eyes_

_And when again they open_

_The sun will rise._

_Here it's safe_

_And here it's warm_

_Here the daisies guard you from any harm._

_Here your dreams are sweet,_

_And tomorrow brings them true_

_Here is the place, where I love you._

I sung the first few lines, hoping that Prim was satisfied, but she opened her eyes again and asked me to sing the rest. My voice was catching up on me, making me choke up in my tears. All I remembered was father whenever I sang this song, and now that he was gone… It just made me feel sad and lonely. This song would always cheer me up and make me happy.

_Deep in the meadow,_

_Hidded far away._

_A cloak of leaves_

_A moonbeam ray._

_Forget yor woes_

_And let your troubles lay,_

_And when again it's morning_

_They will wash away._

_Here it's safe_

_And here it's warm_

_Here the daisies_

_Guard you from every harm_

_Here your dreams are sweet_

_And tomorrow brings them true_

_Here is the place where I love you._

I finish the song and I found that Prim fell asleep. Carefully, I lay down beside her, careful not to wake her. But I can't sleep myself. Everytime I close my eyes, I see the scene this morning. My father is dead, he is gone. He promised me he would never leave us, and now he's gone. I feel angry and sad at the same time. Angry because my own father broke his promise. Sad because he's gone forever. I try to sleep, but my mind is plagued with images of today. Mines blowing up. Death. Blood. Snow. Ashes. Coal. Father. Run. Gates closing. Everything from today is still haunting me. I close my eyes and try to soldier through it. I will try, for Prim, for mother, and for father. For my family.

So, I hope you guys like the newest story. ^.^ I've been on hiatus mode for a while now, and next, I'll bring out either a Lucissa fic or a Next Gen HP fic. :) R/R! :D ~DGGOF


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